


Just a Touch of Flu

by LiamsDarlin



Category: The Darkest Minds Series - Alexandra Bracken
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Common Cold, Coughing, F/M, Fever, Rubiam, Sick!Ruby, Sickfic, Sneezing, Whump, ruby whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-26
Updated: 2017-09-26
Packaged: 2019-01-05 15:47:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12192888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiamsDarlin/pseuds/LiamsDarlin
Summary: The Darkest Minds College AURuby gets sick and misses class, so Liam comes looking for her.





	Just a Touch of Flu

Right away, I knew something was not right. The blaring of my alarm clock felt like knives being thrusted into my temples. I opened my eyes slowly, staring at the bright red numbers that read 7:00AM. I reached over and turned the alarm off before burying my head under the pillow.

My head was pounding, the pain so severe it was making my stomach hurt. Even opening my eyes made it worse. I stayed under the pillow, waiting for the pain to subside but it never did. With a groan, I emerged and slowly sat up on the edge of the bed. I brought my fingers to my temples and attempted to massage the pain away, but it was persistent. It was a constant, throbbing pain right at the back of my eyeballs.

Twenty minutes had passed, and if I didn't hurry, I would be late for Math class. It was about a 15 minute walk from my dorm, and it started at 7:45. Despite the protest from my limbs, I stood up from the bed. Almost immediately, I regretted it. I was met with an intense wave of

dizziness that forced me to fall back on to the mattress, followed by a woozy feeling that made me hold my stomach and try to force down the bile that was threatening to rise up in my throat. Okay, so no class today. In defeat, I crawled back under the blankets and was soon asleep once again.

I kept drifting in and out of sleep. After a few hours, I was able to slowly stand and make it to the bathroom across the hall from my dorm, wrapped in a blanket that dragged behind me. I ignored the looks I got from the other girls, probably staring at my disheveled appearance. At this point, I honestly did not care. As soon as I finished with the restroom, I shuffled back to my dorm and nestled right back down in bed. That's when the coughing started. It started with just a little tickle that soon turned into a deep, painful cough that came from deep in my chest and left me gasping for breath. Every time I would be about to drift off, it would start and leave tears streaming down my face.

The pressure built between my eyes and around my nose, causing congestion and a constant sniffling. The sneezing and the coughing seemed to take turns and neither would let up enough to let me fall into a deep sleep. I just laid in bed, awake and miserable and wishing for death.

Finally,  _finally_ , after what felt like forever, I fell asleep.

I was awoken by a loud, frantic knocking at my door. I sat up abruptly, and regretted it tremendously. My head felt like I was about the explode and a coughing fit overtook me. It was starting to get worse, more painful and wet, leaving a string of saliva hanging from my lips. When I was finally able to recover, there was another series of knocking, even harder than before.

"Ruby?"

I jolted at the voice. Liam? What was he doing here? I glanced over at the clock. It read 8:43PM.

"Ruby, please open up!"

Groaning, I swung my legs over the side of the bed, ignoring the aches from deep in my bones, and slowly stood, the blanket wrapped around me. But when I tried to move toward the door to open it, my knees buckled. In an attempt to catch myself, I knocked over the lamp on my table, causing it to crash to the floor along with myself. I laid in a heap in the ground, covered with the blanket and too dizzy and weak to get myself back up. I coughed hard into the crook of my arm, gasping for breaths in between fits.

"Ruby?!"

I couldn't even respond. It felt like every last ounce of energy had been sapped from my body.

I heard footsteps go down the hall. Had he left? I closed my eyes, curled up on the floor and shaking as a chill came over me. I sniffled, sneezing into the blanket as the snot started to drip from my nose.

I was almost losing consciousness when I heard the doorknob start the turn and the lock clicked. Someone had gotten the RA to open the door. They pushed it open and the light from the hall hit my face, causing me to cover up with the blanket as the migraine kept throbbing.

"Ruby?" Liam's voice rang over my ears. It sounded like he was trying to talk softly, but every little noise sounded like nails on a chalkboard.

"Hey, darlin', it's me. What's wrong?" He pushed the door shut and gently pulled the blanket down from my face. His hand brushed against my cheek, but quickly recoiled as his breath caught in his throat.

"Oh my god, Ruby. You're burning up!" He put the back of his hand against my forehead and I shivered. His hand was so cold. A couple coughs escaped, making me cling onto his shirt as I fought for air.

Liam's eyes were wide, his face white as a ghost. "That's it, come on. You're going to the ER."

Before I could even register what he had said, I was lifted into his arms and out of the dorm room.

The next time I opened my eyes, I was in a white room that smelled like bleach and lemon. There was a needle in my arm, an IV, connected to a fluid drip. Everything felt heavy. My head, my arms, my legs… trying to move was so painful, but I finally managed to scoot up into a sitting position so I could look around better. Immediately, I noticed Liam. He glanced up when he saw me move.

"Oh, thank god you're awake," He exclaimed, reaching over to grab my hand. Relief washed over me. I didn't realize how much I needed him until now.

"What happened?" I asked, wincing as how weak and hoarse my voice sounded.

"I found you in your dorm room on the floor. You were burning up with a fever and could hardly move. I heard a crash, and I knew something was wrong. I went and found your RA and had her open the door and that is when we found you." Liam lifted my hand to his lips and kissed it. "You're really sick, darlin'. You should have called me."

"Why did you come looking for me? I only missed one day." My voice cracked at the end and another coughing fit took over, but it was slightly less painful this time.

Liam gave me an odd look. "Ruby, you were out for two days."

"What?" I exclaimed, the outburst a little too much as more coughing followed.

"You didn't answer any of my calls or my texts, and you missed two days' worth of classes. I knew something was not right, so that is why I stopped by your dorm.

I shook my head, pressing it back against the pillow and closing my eyes. "I had no idea it had been that long." I whispered.

"It's going to be okay. You are very dehydrated, but as soon as the IV finishes, they're going to discharge you and you're coming back to my place so I can nurse you back to health."

I smiled a little a little. "I would like that."

A couple hours later, we were back in Liam's car heading back to the house he rented with our friend Chubs. The fever was still high, and I felt like I was freezing even though I was bundled in Liam's heavy leather jacket and a thick blanket. Glancing at the side mirror, I could see how flushed my cheeks were and the dark bags that had formed under my eyes.

The hospital had sent us with a prescription for antibiotics. They had diagnosed me with the seasonal flu, but just my luck, I had developed pneumonia as well. That explained the deep, wet, painful cough that was still racking my body. As if just thinking about it triggered it, another wave hit and I coughed hard into my elbow. Liam grabbed my hand and squeezed it. He glanced over with a worried glance. He could see how bad it hurt. It felt like the fit lasted forever, and when it finally passed, I was almost hyperventilating trying to get air back into my lungs.

"We're almost there, darlin'."

I nodded, leaning back against the seat and pulling my legs to my chest, hugging my knees. I sneezed, and it felt like someone stabbed a knife between my eyes. I sneezed twice more, and the pain and effort made tears spring to my eyes.

"Okay, we're here. Hold on, I'll get you," We pulled up into the driveway ten minutes later. Liam opened my door and lifted me out, carrying me into the house bridal style.

We walked into the living room, where Chubs was sitting in the recliner with his laptop in his lap. He looked up from behind his silver glassed, and his face fell a little.

"Damn, Lee. You weren't exaggerating. She looks awful."

"Gee, thanks." I rasped, trying to hold back another coughing fit as Liam lowered me onto the couch and covered me with another blanket. The coughing won, and I double over with the effort.

"I'll be right back, I'm going to go get the medicine from the car, okay?" Liam kissed my forehead and left the room.

Chubs closed his laptop and stood up, coming to sit by my feet on the couch. "Do you want anything to eat?"

I shook my head, my stomach flipping at the simple thought.

"Ruby, you have to eat. Lee said you haven't eaten in three days. How about some soup? Chicken noodle?"

I shrugged. "I guess I'll try it."

Chubs gave my leg an awkward pat and stood up to head into the kitchen just as Liam came back with the bag.

"Alright, I also grabbed some Gatorade and a thermometer while I was at the drug store getting your prescription. Let's check that fever and get this medicine in you." Liam ripped open the package and pulled out the tympanic thermometer. He placed it in my ear and pushed the button, waiting for the shrill beep.

"101.9. Let me grab some Tylenol." He dug through the bag, grabbing the bottle and shaking out 2 pills. Then he pulled out the prescription bottle and pulled out one of the big horse pills. Amoxicillin, the doctor had called it.

Liam helped me sit up a little, and I took the pills followed by a swig of the Gatorade. Then Chubs came out with the bowl of soup. Liam grabbed it from him.

"Thanks, Chubs," Liam said.

"No problem. I'll go to my room to give her some quiet. Feel better, Ruby," Chubs grabbed his laptop from the couch and retreated.

"Alright, darlin'. Try to eat something." Liam handed me the bowl, but my hands were so shaky I almost spilled it on myself. "Okay, scratch that." Liam mumbled, taking the bowl back.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled, my head starting to feel heavy. I was so tired.

"Don't be sorry, Ruby," Liam reached over and brushed the hair out of my face. "Here," He spooned out a bite of soup, blowing on it before bringing it my lips. I hesitated a moment, then opened my mouth the took the bite. The warm liquid felt good on my raw throat and I took the next bite more willingly.

I was only able to eat half the bowl, but Liam was satisfied with that. He encouraged me to take a couple more drinks of the Gatorade before letting me fall asleep. As soon as I closed my eyes, I was out.

"Ruby?" I felt Liam's hand brush my cheek, but I ignored him. I was still so tired…

"Ruby, wake up… come on," Liam sounded a bit more urgent, and he shook my shoulder gently. I opened my eyes halfway, being met by his blue eyes staring at me.

"Ruby, you're boiling. Your fever is skyrocketing, you need to take more medicine."

"Mmm, so sleepy…" I murmured, already about to doze off again. Liam shook me more urgently.

"Ruby!"

My eyes snapped open, but I couldn't hold my head upright. My chest tightened as more coughing rumbled out. It hurt so bad… it felt like I was going to cough out my lung. It was deep in my chest, and wet. I could feel the mucus coming up with each cough. I put a fist to my mouth in an attempt to cover the droplets flying from my mouth. Liam was at my side, holding me up into a sitting position and letting me use him as a support. I could not catch my breath. I was gasping, but whenever I tried to inhale, I just kept coughing, and coughing, and coughing. Right when I thought I was going to pass out, I was able to take a sharp inhale of air. The coughing subsided, leaving me sitting there, gulping in air and clenching Liam's shirt in my fists.

Liam pressed his forehead against mine, visibly grimacing against the heat that I could feel rolling off of my body. "You're going to be okay," He told me, cupping my cheeks in his hands. "I'm going to make sure you get better, okay? I promise."

I nodded, too weak and exhausted to even say anything in response.

"I checked your temp while you were sleeping. It's up to 103.2. You need to take some more Tylenol, okay? It's been six hours, so Chubs said it's okay to take some more."

I nodded. Holding me up, Liam helped me take the two pills, holding the Gatorade bottle to my lips and helping me take little sips. He then lowered me back down on the couch and draped a cold rag over my forehead. I sighed, feeling relief from the fever as well as the migraine that had been raging for three days. Within minutes, I was once again asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback is appreciated :)


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